Barrel Inn

Set 1300 feet up on a ridge in the tiny Derbyshire hamlet of Bretton, where visitors often outnumber inhabitants in summer, this pub is a terrific place to get into the spirit of the Peak District and its outdoor delights. It’s not only a cosy place to stay, with 5 lovely double bedrooms upstairs, but its hearty food and warm environment couldn’t be more perfectly suited to the location, with inglenook fireplaces, beams, comfy settles and old-school horse brasses on rough plaster walls – just what you need after a hard day’s hiking.The beer is great and the food is plentiful and good value for money, and to top it all off there’s a brilliant flagged yard at the front to sit in on the odd warm day. It’s pretty high here, so those days are rare, but hardy souls don’t seem to mind, mainly because the view over Hucklow towards Buxton is stupendous. The gliding club is just over the hill and it’s a chucking-off point for paragliders, so there’s plenty to watch, and, not surprisingly, there are fabulous walks from here too.What better place to end a five-mile yomp?